WO2014091361A1 - Évaluation de véhicule et génération de fil - Google Patents

Évaluation de véhicule et génération de fil Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2014091361A1
WO2014091361A1 PCT/IB2013/060606 IB2013060606W WO2014091361A1 WO 2014091361 A1 WO2014091361 A1 WO 2014091361A1 IB 2013060606 W IB2013060606 W IB 2013060606W WO 2014091361 A1 WO2014091361 A1 WO 2014091361A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
vehicle
owner
selling
information
installer
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB2013/060606
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
David Schmidt
Kenneth WIESNER
William NORTHRUP
Original Assignee
David Schmidt
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by David Schmidt filed Critical David Schmidt
Publication of WO2014091361A1 publication Critical patent/WO2014091361A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07C—TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
    • G07C5/00—Registering or indicating the working of vehicles
    • G07C5/008—Registering or indicating the working of vehicles communicating information to a remotely located station
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/06—Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to notifications regarding the condition of a vehicle, and more specifically to a method where an installed electronic device transmits vehicle condition information that is accessible by remote users.
  • a service center or mechanic has relied on the operator of a vehicle for notification when the vehicle requires maintenance or repair. This happens when the operator observes that a mileage threshold has been reached, notices a dash indicator has illuminated, or manually hears, feels, or sees some other concern.
  • the vehicle's owner can be unaware of the severity of the needed maintenance or repair until later, when the vehicle is taken to the service center and is diagnosed. This delay between the first awareness of a problem and the subsequent diagnosis and fix can allow additional damage to accumulate in the vehicle.
  • Service centers have also historically predicted when vehicle service would be next required by adding a set amount of time to the last performed maintenance. However, this can be inaccurate or incomplete because the time of the last performed maintenance may not be known, driving patterns can change and vary from vehicle to vehicle, and service needs can be later affected by unplanned vehicle problems that arise.
  • Service centers also have an interest in analyzing and understanding the time spent on servicing various vehicles and common problems, for scheduling and capacity management, and for identifying employee improvements and resolving customer complaints.
  • a service center relies on employees to enter or record this data, which invites human error and introduces bureaucratic inefficiencies with time that could be better spent servicing other vehicles.
  • This patent proposes to eliminate these deficiencies in notification of vehicle condition and access to service history with a cost efficient method using freely available communication networks and automated, centralized record-keeping in order to make the information accessible to many different types of users.
  • an electronic device is installed in a vehicle where it collects diagnostic information regarding the maintenance and repair needs of the vehicle from various sensors. These sensors may be directly connected to the device or indirectly connected through an in- vehicle communications bus. The device also searches for and finds compatible Wi-Fi networks which are capable of both communicating using Wi-Fi, and also forwarding data packets received over Wi-Fi to and from the Internet.
  • Wi-Fi refers to using any one or more of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 standards and/or amendments.
  • the device When relevant information regarding the vehicle condition is collected, or on some other periodic basis, the device transmits a notification through a compatible Wi-Fi network to a central server on the Internet.
  • Searching for, validating, and using compatible Wi-Fi networks instead of using a proprietary commercial wireless network prevents significant usage cost and convenience overhead, greatly reduces or eliminates proprietary network certifications and contract negotiations, increases compatibility for international deployments, and makes this method tenable for a wider variety of users.
  • steps must be taken to compensate for coverage gaps and determine network compatibility on a case-by-case basis.
  • One such implementation of suitable steps is
  • the server processes the information and stores it in a database.
  • a central server with access to the database which may be the same as or different than the receiving server, can access this information and send it to an authorized user, either by responding to a user-initiated request, or by pro-actively matching and alerting a user based on predefined filters.
  • the central servers may accept many simultaneous authorized users for each vehicle, and, each user may have a different, specific interest in the data.
  • a user may be the vehicle's owner, and the owner may be primarily interested in knowing more about the maintenance and repair needs of the vehicle.
  • a user might be a potential purchaser of the vehicle who is validating the condition of the vehicle prior to purchase, or a seller of a replacement vehicle, or parts, fluids and fuel who is identifying potential customers.
  • a user might also be a warranty provider who is obligated to pay for maintenance or repair, or a service provider that will perform some vehicle service such as maintenance, repair, cleaning, or refueling.
  • the device is installed in the vehicle by an existing vendor of the vehicle owner.
  • the vendor in an effort to sell products and services to the owner can be contacted when the vehicle's condition indicates that the products or services are needed. In this way the vendor can better retain the vehicle owner as a customer by establishing repeated customer interaction, building trust, and providing increased customer convenience.
  • a vendor who is not responsible for the initial installation of the device may seek to find potential new customers who have a need for the vendor's products or services. This vendor can define filters to find these potential customers and be notified of matches. Once found, the vendor can seek to establish contact with the identified vehicle owners. In this way, the proposed method acts as a lead generator for new customer acquisition.
  • FIG. 1 is a block diagram containing an overview of the components involved in an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a block diagram of various sensors that monitor a vehicle's condition in an embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 3 is a diagram of the wireless communication flow between a device, a Wi-Fi network, and a central server in an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a vendor's interaction with information regarding a vehicle's condition, demonstrating when information is filtered and when users are contacted, in an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4 illustrate a method of notifying users of a vehicle's condition using Wi-Fi networks.
  • Fig. 1 illustrates an overview of the interaction between components used in the present method, including an electronic device 103 placed in a vehicle 101 capable of receiving sensor data regarding the condition of the vehicle from external sensors 102 and internal sensors 104.
  • the device also processes 106 the input within the device and packages and transfers the data to the Wi-Fi communications module 107 for transmitting to the central servers 110 via a compatible Wi-Fi network 110 and the Internet 120.
  • Information from the device is received from the Internet at a server network 130 and decoded by the central servers 140 within the central server's communication modules 141. This information is further processed 142 and stored in a database 143.
  • the user communications modules 144 provides access to the database storage 143 and further processing 142 needed for retrieval of data by a remote user 154.
  • the user 154 can remotely access the information held by central servers 140 via a user-initiated request 155 such as a web request, an API (Application Programming Interface) request, or a touch- tone telephone request.
  • a user can be notified by the central servers with a server-initiated communication 156 such as an email, text message, telephone call, voicemail message, instant message, social networking post, or API notification.
  • Fig. 2 illustrates the combination of internal and external sensors and buses that are used to monitor the vehicle condition in this implementation.
  • Speed 201, diagnostic trouble codes 202, the status of the check engine light 203, and the fuel level 204 are reported over the OBD-II bus 200 and received by the sensor communication module 220 inside the device 210.
  • the maintenance required indicator lamp 231, the low oil pressure indicator lamp 232, the engine overheat indicator lamp 233, and the low tire pressure indicator lamp 234 are directly connected to the device 210 through hardwired digital inputs 230, where they are also monitored by the sensor communication module 220.
  • sensors which are external to the device, there are also sensors built inside the device, such as a battery voltage sensor 211, an LED voltage sensor 211, and the like.
  • the accelerometer 213, and a location sensor 212 which could use either a GNSS based location system like GPS, or a Wi-Fi based location system that triangulates observed Wi-Fi signals.
  • sensors which cannot be fully classified as either external or internal.
  • the input from the speed sensor 215 is further processed inside of the device into distance 216, by an additional processing component 221 that combines the speed with an elapsed time.
  • Fig. 3 illustrates the communications between the installed device 301, and the central servers 304 using Wi-Fi networks 302, 303.
  • the device 301 When the device 301 needs to send a notification about the vehicle's condition to the central server 304, the device scans for Wi-Fi networks in its vicinity. Due to the dispersed nature of current Wi-Fi deployments, one must expect that a mobile device will not always be within range of a Wi-Fi network, and even when in range, the Wi-Fi networks in its vicinity may not be compatible for sending and receiving information to a central server. Thus the device 301 will queue notifications until it sees a Wi-Fi network in its vicinity which the device either knows is compatible, or will test for compatibility. When found, it connects 321 to the Wi-Fi network 302.
  • Wi-Fi networks are vastly more varied in their ownership and operating rules, and they usually apply firewall rules which block communications originating from the Internet. This, in conjunction with the consideration that a mobile device will not always be in range of a compatible network, means that it is likely a device will not be directly reachable on-demand by a central server if a server needs to send a command to the device. Thus a central server will queue any commands that it wishes to send to a device until the device is reachable.
  • the time that a device is most likely to reachable is immediately after a central server receives some other message from the device. Therefore, if a server has any such queued commands for the device, it will try to send them now 324.
  • the Wi-Fi network will forward a command 325 to the device, which can perform the action that the command encodes.
  • the device responds 326 to the command which is forwarded 327 back to the central server.
  • the central server acknowledges that it received the response 328 to the command and this is forwarded 329 to the device.
  • the device If the device does not receive the acknowledgment, it will try to send the response again at a later time to the central server. Once the device receives any communication from the central server 325 or 329, then the device knows that the Wi-Fi network is compatible.
  • the device 301 will determine if a Wi-Fi network 303 is compatible for sending and receiving messages to the central server 304, prior to sending an actual notification about the vehicle's condition. This may be useful for testing purposes, or for providing feedback to a local user that the device is communicating correctly.
  • the device first connects 331 to the Wi-Fi network. It then sends a check message 332 addressed to the Internet address of the central server.
  • the check message may be equivalent to a data-containing message but without any real data. It is important that the check message should be as similar as possible to a data containing message in order to identify if the Wi-Fi network will allow the eventual data message.
  • the Wi-Fi network is connected to the Internet, and if it allows the particular type of message, then it will forward the message 333 to the central server 304.
  • the central server will respond 334 and the Wi-Fi network will forward 335 the response to the device 301. If the device receives a response, then it knows that the Wi-Fi network is compatible for sending and receiving messages to the central server, and it is remembered as compatible inside the device.
  • Fig. 4 illustrates interactions of a vendor, vehicle owner, and automatic events such as the receipt of new information from the vehicle or execution of a scheduled report.
  • any existing information 401 that is already stored in the central servers regarding that vehicle's condition is retrieved and then merged 402 with the new information, if necessary, to form a more complete representation of the vehicle's current condition.
  • This current condition is then stored 403 where it is ready to be retrieved again upon the receipt of the next new information 400.
  • a predefined filter 412 is applied to determine if a vendor 410 should be contacted 411.
  • a predefined filter 422 is applied to to determine if a vehicle owner 420 should be contacted 421.
  • the vendor may then make a manual decision to contact 421 the vehicle owner 420.
  • Filters can contain many different kinds of conditions. For example, a filter may match only specific, individually identified vehicles, or only vehicles for which the vendor and the vehicle owner have a pre-existing relationship, or only vehicles that are of a certain make, model, or year of manufacture, or only vehicles that are reporting specified problems, or only vehicles that are within a certain odometer distance of a next scheduled maintenance, or only vehicles that are within a certain geographical area, or only vehicles whose owners have not been previously contacted, or any combination of the above. It should be apparent that there are many other possibilities for filter conditions that are not listed here.
  • Requests may also be initiated by a user independently of whether they have been contacted or not.
  • a vendor 410 may request that a filter 430 be executed against all stored information. The vendor may specify that this request is to be executed immediately, at some point in the future, or on some recurring basis.
  • the stored information is searched 431 for matches against the specified filter.
  • the matching results may be returned 432 to the vendor, either by displaying the results immediately or by sending the results later.
  • the vendor may then make a decision to contact 421 the vehicle owner 420.
  • searching 431 matching vehicle owners may be automatically contacted 421 based on a predefined template.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un dispositif électronique installé dans un véhicule, lequel collecte des informations provenant de différents capteurs concernant l'état du véhicule, comprenant des besoins de maintenance et de réparation. Également, le dispositif recherche et identifie un réseau Wi-Fi compatible qui est connecté à l'Internet, et transmet les informations d'état de véhicule pertinentes par l'intermédiaire de ce réseau compatible. Les informations sont stockées dans une base de données centrale, où elles peuvent faire l'objet d'un accès par différents utilisateurs, tels que le propriétaire de véhicule, des acheteurs potentiels, des fournisseurs de garantie de véhicule et des fournisseurs de service de véhicule. Le dispositif peut être installé par un vendeur qui utilise les informations pour conserver une relation ou un contrat de client existant(e). Les informations pourraient également être accessibles par un vendeur différent qui souhaite entrer en contact avec le propriétaire de véhicule concernant d'autres produits et services.
PCT/IB2013/060606 2012-12-14 2013-12-03 Évaluation de véhicule et génération de fil WO2014091361A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US201261797736P 2012-12-14 2012-12-14
US61/797,736 2012-12-14
US201313833267A 2013-03-15 2013-03-15
US13/833,267 2013-03-15

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2014091361A1 true WO2014091361A1 (fr) 2014-06-19

Family

ID=50933816

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/IB2013/060606 WO2014091361A1 (fr) 2012-12-14 2013-12-03 Évaluation de véhicule et génération de fil

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2014091361A1 (fr)

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20020016655A1 (en) * 2000-08-01 2002-02-07 Joao Raymond Anthony Apparatus and method for processing and/or for providing vehicle information and/or vehicle maintenance information
US20020161657A1 (en) * 2000-12-14 2002-10-31 Kojac Mark A. System for rapid identification of vehicle occupants for the purpose of facilitating mobile sales marketing, communication and safety
US20040073468A1 (en) * 2002-10-10 2004-04-15 Caterpillar Inc. System and method of managing a fleet of machines
US20040210363A1 (en) * 2001-05-08 2004-10-21 Hitachi, Ltd. Repair and maintenance support system and a car corresponding to the system
US20090088924A1 (en) * 1999-12-19 2009-04-02 Coffee John R Vehicle tracking, communication and fleet management system
US20110161193A1 (en) * 2003-07-28 2011-06-30 Heppe George E Method for providing vehicle information at a live auction

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20090088924A1 (en) * 1999-12-19 2009-04-02 Coffee John R Vehicle tracking, communication and fleet management system
US20020016655A1 (en) * 2000-08-01 2002-02-07 Joao Raymond Anthony Apparatus and method for processing and/or for providing vehicle information and/or vehicle maintenance information
US20020161657A1 (en) * 2000-12-14 2002-10-31 Kojac Mark A. System for rapid identification of vehicle occupants for the purpose of facilitating mobile sales marketing, communication and safety
US20040210363A1 (en) * 2001-05-08 2004-10-21 Hitachi, Ltd. Repair and maintenance support system and a car corresponding to the system
US20040073468A1 (en) * 2002-10-10 2004-04-15 Caterpillar Inc. System and method of managing a fleet of machines
US20110161193A1 (en) * 2003-07-28 2011-06-30 Heppe George E Method for providing vehicle information at a live auction

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
CN107111858B (zh) 用于汽车诊断工具数据收集和分析的系统以及方法
US10032317B2 (en) Integrated fleet vehicle management system
TWI237758B (en) Remote monitoring, configuring, programming and diagnostic system and method for vehicles and vehicle components
US10600096B2 (en) System and method for obtaining competitive pricing for vehicle services
US20170076344A1 (en) System and method to prevent vehicle failures on public roadways
CA2714804C (fr) Systeme et procede de prestation de services de diagnostic
US20160071338A1 (en) Diagnostic unit and method
AU2002301638B2 (en) Integrated internet portal and deployed product microserver management system
US20050060070A1 (en) Wireless communication framework
US20110022653A1 (en) Systems and methods for providing a client agent for delivery of remote services
US20200043068A1 (en) System and method for obtaining competitive pricing for vehicle services
WO2004092857A2 (fr) Systeme, procede et progiciel pour diagnostic telematique, controle, configuration, et reprogrammation a distance de vehicules
EP2646969A2 (fr) Système et procédé permettant d'obtenir une détermination de prix compétitive pour des interventions sur un véhicule
US20130304532A1 (en) System and method for maintenance and monitoring of filtration systems
WO2014091361A1 (fr) Évaluation de véhicule et génération de fil
US20230360003A1 (en) Automated vehicle service systems, devices and methods
US11620698B2 (en) Method for sharing travel data
EP1388830B1 (fr) Système et procédé de gestion à distance d'équipements
CN116401138B (zh) 操作系统的运行状态检测方法、装置、电子设备和介质
CN114125006A (zh) 一种加气站成套装备远程运维服务系统
KR100708071B1 (ko) 네트워크를 이용한 정기 점검 서비스 장치 및 그 방법
CN117135175A (zh) 自动化车辆通信和服务系统
US20160378920A1 (en) Event based system and method for managing clinical trial data
CN112187952A (zh) 服务提供方法、装置和存储介质

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application

Ref document number: 13861957

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1

NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: DE

122 Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase

Ref document number: 13861957

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1